What is your team doing right now? (open thread)

Sorry for the lack of updates on my part, extremely busy but excuses are like... never mind.

Anyway - how is recruiting going for your team, games already start? How is your team's season going?

Post any game results and recaps you have, any team any part of the country. Lets hear em.


(or talk about whatever you would like)

Rhino ECC 2007 Highlight Video

Though this is a stretch to put up on playulti as this is a Club Open video, Jacob Janin and former Eugene high schoolers still make the cut in a few of the highlight sequences.
Mostly, there just hasn't been anything new here in a while, and I just finished this video last night.

Rhino showed up as the 6th seed in their pool. Thinking we'd break easily, that weekend we were humbled and pushed to a new place of motivation. Here is the highlights from our weekend.

ECC Highlight Video Links:
StageSix Stream/Download - divx - 1280x720 - 175MB
http://stage6.divx.com/user/luketimjohnson/video/1660020/Rhino-ECC-2007

iPod Video - mp4 - 640x360 - 70MB
http://www.chsultimate.com/video/RhinoECC07.mp4

Webstream - mov - 640x360 - 78MB
http://www.chsultimate.com/video/RhinoECC07(sor).mov

Youtube Stream - 320x240 - (low quality and last resort)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaOw37EZetc

Principles - 2nd Draft

2nd Drafts for The Principles of Defense & Offense
(And, a quick overview of one way to teach Vertical & Horitzonal Stack)

Thank you to all who have posted and sent me their thoughts on how and what to teach. And let me remind you that this is just a 2nd draft. There have been many who have probably done something like this, and most of us at least have it in our heads... But, putting it down in words has really been helping me put into perspective what is most important and what progression to go through in teaching ultimate.

Special credit should be given to Kyle W. and ThePulse for each of their valuable comments.

For the full 2nd draft, you need to click the 'continue reading...' link (otherwise this post would take up way too much space). As I get more comments, I'll continue to revise this and potentially make another draft.

DEFENSE
1. Successful Defense moves from ‘a’ to ‘b’ to ‘c’ (but is still successful if all we do is ‘a’):
a) Frustrating the offense (ie: forcing offense to make more throws than desired)
b) Causing a turn-over (ie: forcing a bad throw, getting a point block, or a D)
c) Converting the turn into a break-point
2. Execute Individual Fundamentals: MARKING
a) Have Field Sense (be aware of cuts, where your people are, etc)
b) Keep decided upon force and or plan (ie: don’t get broken or don’t let the around out, and don’t get greedy for hand/foot block)
c) Start the stall count immediately (get quieter as count gets higher to keep offense in the dark)
d) Stay balanced and use feet to shuffle back and forth (be on toes and move whole body without lunging)
e) Dictate what throw you want to give her (ie: against the wind low arms, forcing releases that open up into the wind, while going downwind, arms higher, forcing throws that get pushed down into the ground)
f) Vary distance on the mark (give space as stall count increases to avoid drawing a foul that resets the count)
3. Execute Individual Fundamentals: GUARDING
a) Have Field Sense (know where the disc is, who has it, and what the stall count is at to be able to adjust position as while knowing where your girl is at all times)
b) Mentally decide you are not letting your girl touch the disc (because you are better than her)
c) Dictate what you want to give her (ie: if the thrower can't huck, force her out, if she's taller than you, force her under but be on her hip)
d) Generally put yourself between cutter and disc (her cut will follow her hips)
e) Run smarter than your girl (ie: doesn’t always have to be harder, faster, or longer)
f) Decide when to bid (execute proper form, initiate stall count if you miss the bid as you land, run through disc if you get the D unless you are able to catch it)
g) Balance aggressive man D with taking away as much open space as possible (ie: smart poaches and zone positions)
4. Execute Team Fundamentals
a) Play pissed off D (ie: get yourself in the mindset that we're giving them our disc on our field and we want it back…)
b) Constant Communication (especially for switches, dumps, and set defensive plays like zone, junk, etc)
c) Keep pull in-bounds ALWAYS (then value distance, float, and difficulty to catch)
d) Cover Pull (Get down as fast as possible to allow as few touches as possible by the offense)
e) Exploit all possible weaknesses in offense (every game will be different, and every team will have weaknesses)
f) Bigger sideline presence (Both encouragement and specifics like IOs, Arounds, Picks, Ups, Strikes, etc)
5. Adaptability (do what works until the offense figures it out)
6. Know the rules (ignorance is unacceptable)


OFFENSE

1. Successful Offense keeps possession and moves the disc as simply, quickly, and easily as possible into the end-zone 2. Execute Individual Fundamentals: THROWERS
a) Have Field Sense (know your cutters, what they want, what they can do, what they cannot do, etc)
b) Make high percentage throws (balance in patience and urgency to make best of potential situation by holding disc for best cut while desiring to move the disc as fast as possible)
c) Create space for your release point (use proper fakes and balanced stepping out)
d) Develop widest range of possible release points (from high to low, backhand to flick)
e) Be aware of stall-count (make sure to turn to dump at designated count)
3. Execute Individual Fundamentals: Cutters
a) Have Field Sense (know your thrower, what they can throw, what they cannot, and where the best cut is, etc)
b) Make smart cuts (always harder, always into space that best gives opportunity to advance the disc)
c) Take what you want from him who is guarding you (do not let them dictate what you get; take it)
d) Move into your opponent and make them turn their hips (get them to choose a direction and go the opposite way)
e) Keep your body between the disc and your opponent (lowers the successfulness of a bid on you)
f) Catch the disc (“If you can touch it, you can catch it”, and get two hands on the disc as much as possible)
4. Execute Team Fundamentals
a) Play chilly O (ie: the disc is in our possession and we are in our happy place just playing catch)
b) Constant Communication (on the field and on the line before receiving the pull)
c) Move the disc as fast as possible off the pull (punish teams for their bricks and laziness getting down)
c) Bigger sideline presence (Both encouragement and specifics like zone, move the disc, etc)
5. Adaptability (take what the defense gives you and be willing to change if things are not working)
6. Know the rules (ignorance is unacceptable)


OFFENSE: Two Major Stack Variations

1. Vertical Stack - (the bread and butter of ultimate)
a) Lay-out
-2 handlers & 5 cutters
-Stack set ‘vertically’ in the field (placement can be from the live side to the dead depending on desired flow)
-Front of stack should be somewhere between 5 and 20 yards off the thrower (closer in the end-zone)
-second handler (dump) sets up perpendicularly 10 yards away from the handler with disc
b) Play called on the line (who will handle the disc initially, and cutters assigned order and whether they will be in or out cuts)
c) On pull, stack is set-up immediately and handlers look to move the disc into the middle of the field
d) Cutters initiate by going into their opponent. Cutters are looking to get her opponent to turn her hips. Then cutter takes the direction her opponent’s back is facing and thus not able to cover.
e) As cutter makes catch, first look is back to the handler if they are moving faster than their mark. Second look is back up field for continuation cut from next cutter.
-If the disc goes back to the handler, then the cutter returns to stack as fast as possible, the dump moves up field, and the handler with disc looks for an out cut immediately.
-If the disc goes to second cutter, handlers communicate with first cutter where to go (often they will push them to clear out and return to the stack, but dump could move into the stack with the first cutter now becoming a handler/dump.
e) As the disc moves up the field, the stack keeps moving up the field to keep open space between thrower/dump and stack.
f) Cuts continue until disc reaches the redzone (the space within 20 yards of the endzone). Often, the thrower and dump will move the disc into the endzone on their own by up field cut or simple back dump cut and around to front of the stack (see g below).
g) when cutter is looked off by thrower and stall count reaches 5, or if the thrower simply commits to the dump for a reset (often when the disc is on the sideline), the following must take place:
-Stack immediately ceases in-cuts to give space in front of thrower for dump
-Dump makes one of the two cuts:
1) Dump cuts up field and she has open huck look, back of stack cuts out for continuation throw
2) Dump cuts down field and she has around look, first in the stack cuts to dead-side for continuation

2. Horizontal - (classic HO stack)
a) Lay-out
-3 handlers & 4 cutters
-Stack set across the field 'horiztonally'
-Distance should vary depending on our throwing ability and weather (wind/rain) (typically 20 yards forward from handlers)
-second handler (dump) sets up perpendicularly 10 yards away from the handler with disc
b) Play called on the line (who will handle the disc initially, and cutters assigned order and where to cut)
c) On pull, stack is set-up immediately and handlers look to move the disc into the middle of the field
d) Cutters initiate by going into their opponent. Cutters are looking to get her opponent to turn her hips. Then cutter takes the direction her opponent’s back is facing and thus not able to cover. Often though in a H stack, opponents will try and team up to cover cuts. If this takes place, cutters can often flood the one opponent with both players and splitting them.
e) As cutter makes catch, first look is back to the handler if they are moving faster than their mark. Second look is back up field for continuation cut from next cutter.
-If the disc goes back to the handler, then the cutter nearly always becomes a dump, the furthest handler moves into the stack, and the handler with disc looks for an out cut immediately.
-If the disc goes to second cutter, handlers communicate with first cutter where to go (in an H stack, the cutter will most often become a handler and furthest handler will move into the stack, but this is not set in stone especially if cutter is not confident in handling).
e) As the disc moves up the field, the stack keeps moving up the field to keep open space between thrower/dump and stack.
f) Cuts continue until disc reaches the redzone (the space within 20 yards of the endzone). At this point, the H stack shifts into a V stack to create better space… Otherwise, the defense will simply play under our cutters and force us to throw low percentage over the top throws. Often, the thrower and dump will move the disc into the endzone on their own by up field cut or simple back dump cut and around to front of the stack (see g of V Stack).
g) when cutter is looked off by thrower and stall count reaches 5, or if the thrower simply commits to the dump for a reset (often when the disc is on the sideline), the following must take place:
-Stack immediately ceases in-cuts to give space in front of thrower for dump
-Closest dump cuts up field and she gets the disc and has open huck look, someone (best option) cuts out for continuation throw. If closest dump cut does not get the disc, then she keeps clearing out into the stack while second dump cut immediately comes over and does one of the two cuts:
1) Dump cuts up field and she has open huck look, back of stack cuts out for continuation throw
2) Dump cuts down field and she has around look, first in the stack cuts to dead-side for continuation

Defensive Principles - Your Thoughts?

Defensive Principles (rough draft #1)

1. Successful Defense moves from a to b to c (but is still successful if all we do is a):
a) frustrating the offense (ie: forcing them to make more throws than desired)
b) causing a turn-over (ie: forcing a bad throw, getting a point block, or a D)
c) converting the turn into a break-point

2. Execute Individual Fundamentals
a) we play pissed off D (ie: we're giving them our disc on our field and we want it back)
b) GUARDING 101
-mentally decide you are not letting your guy touch the disc (because you are better than him)
-take away what he wants (ie: if he wants to go out, give him the in)
-run harder, faster, and longer than your guy
-decide when to bid (layout)
-execute proper form
-start stall count if you miss the bid
-run through disc if you get the D (unless you catch it)
-get between the disc and your guy (unless otherwise otherwise decided)
c) MARKING 101
-don't get broken (keep force)
-start the count immediately (get quieter as count gets higher)
-stay balanced and on your toes
-hands pointed down with arms out but up (ie: it is always easier to move them down)
-vary distance on the mark
-initially in game, see how close you can get before drawing a foul
-back off slightly as stall count increases as not to draw a foul that resets the count
-follow the eyes of the mark (not their body or disc)

3. Execute Team Fundamentals
a) communication (especially for switches, dump, and set defenses like zone)
b) keep pull in-bounds always (never give up a brick and allow as few touches as possible by the offense)
c) field sense (ie: everyone keeps their head on a swivel, no swill ever gets caught by offense)
d) take away as much space as possible (ie: smart poaches and zone)
e) exploit all possible weaknesses in offense (on going discussion in each game)
f) bigger sideline presence - (also known as 8th man)

4. Adaptability - do what works until the offense figures it out

5. Know the rules - (ignorance come spring season is unacceptable)


Myths:
-Defense is where the new and or worst players play
-It is okay to let the offense score (ie: they're supposed to)

Offensive Principles - Your thoughts?

I've been working on the basic fundamentals we want to teach new players, and was curious what other people think about the following Principles and then basics on styles of stack offense... I won't take offense at anything said as this is still a very rough draft...


Six Principles of Offense:
1. Move the disc as simply and easily as possible into the end-zone while retaining possession
2. Execute fundamentals with hard cuts, high percentage throws and consistent catches
3. Develop Field Sense with balance in patience and urgency to make best of potential situation (ie: holding for best pass while desiring to move the disc as fast as possible)
4. Understand essentialness to taking and creating space in the lanes
5. Respect the need to do this as a Team a) communication - both speaking and listening b) importance of 70 seconds on the line before receiving the pull - (ie: listen to captain) c) learning your team-mates tendencies (throwing preferences, speed, cuts, etc) - especially between handlers on the dump
6. Take what the defense gives you and be willing to adapt and be original


2 Major Stack Variations:
1. Vertical Stack
a) 2 handlers, 5 cutters
b) often use a slight angle to setting stack to create space in the live side (but this changes as what side movement is desired, ie: move stack to live side for dead side flow)
c) cutters are assigned a number for set play, but flow often dictated without set numbers and known order
d) typically use 'lupa' cuts to create space for yourself (ie: taking your person out first and then back into the disc, but always take what the defense gives you)
e) cuts are repeated until disc reaches the endzone
f) when breakdown takes place, disc is reset to dump

2. Horizontal
a) 3 handlers, 4 cutters across the field 'horizontally', typically 20 yards in front of handlers
b) a need for greater handler presence and movement between those three
c) cuts come in pistons, but can use diamond and even flat cuts where space is given.
d) communication between cutters imperative and often done as partners either in middle or on side
e) a special emphasis on fast movement of disc and use of 'dish' passes back to handlers following hard in cuts
f) when breakdown takes place, disc is reset with one of two dumps g) when disc reaches the endzone, offense will more than likely shift to a Vertical Stack to create better space.

DEVYL Team Registration Deadline 9/17

The last day for teams to register for DEVYL is September 17th.

http://groups.google.com/group/devyl-fall

Also, the league has been approved for UPA sanctioning. Register now!

Top Eastern HS Girls Team for 2008

Not sure why this one didn't get up there, but here are the ladies from the east coast.

Top Western HS Girls Team of 2008

Again, only Westerns teams listed here.

Top Western HS Open Team of 2008

Again, same things for the Westerns Division (read below on the Eastern Poll for criteria of teams being listed). Here it is much simpler as these are only the teams from the 2007 Western Tournament.

Top Eastern HS Open Team for 2008

Taking from at least one comment, the discussion would like to be started. So, here is maybe a nice way of beginning that discussion... Voting more than once, though possible, skews the results, so just vote once. And, you may wonder why some teams are not on here and others are. I simply took the standings from this last year's Easterns and then added the only other teams listed on Score Reporter with an RRI in the top 20 on the east coast (I didn't include any teams with less than 10 games)

Youth Club Championships 2007: Flood HL Video

The 2007 Youth Club Championship Oregon: Flood Girls Team video is now available. This unique tournament experience pitted the top 100 some U-19 girls in a 7 team round-robin format. Everything took place in Blaine, MN on August 11th & 12th. And though this is our video, highlights from each game are shown (not just ours).

ipod video - mp4 - (640x360) - 199MB
stage6 divx stream - divx - (1280x720) - stream

googlevideo - (320x240) - stream

(use this as a last resort, because the quality puts the video to shame)


(Though I did not want to put out a lower quality version, there have been requests made.  I cannot upload this video to youtube as they have restrictions over 100MB, but this is now available on googlevideo to see.  The quicktime stream that I normally do was not getting much use at all in previous videos and its' a headache to get to work right now.  So, I leave you with these three sources)

DEVYL Registration and Google Group

The Delaware Valley Youth League (DEVYL) league website and registration page are located at: http://ryan-thompson.home.comcast.net/join.html

There is a Google Group for the league with important league information and forms at http://groups.google.com/group/devyl-fall

Registration has begun! Everyone must register online.

Rutger's University High School Invitational

I always think it's fantastic when non-Youth programs reach out in a big way. I would love to see more college programs put on events like this.

Rutgers University is proud to present its first High School invitational tournament on October 13-14, 2007.

We will host 12 juniors teams for pool play on Saturday and bracket play on Sunday. All teams are guarenteed 7 games. Food and water will be provided. The tournament will include quality competition against other juniors teams, plus the chance to learn about Rutgers and the Rutgers men's Ultimate team.

Bids are due by Friday, September 21st. Teams will be notified of acceptance by Friday, September 28th. The tournament fee is due on Friday, October 5th. Checks should be made out to "Rutgers, the State University".

Please email bids to ru.tournament AT gmail.com with the subject line "ARJI 07". Please include the name of your team's high school, your team's name, spring '07 results, expected team strength in spring '08, and a brief team bio. Housing may be available to teams coming from considerable distances; if your team will need housing, please indicate the number of people (players, parents, and coaches) and for which nights (Friday, Saturday, or both) you will need it. Please bear in mind that we cannot commit to providing housing for teams, but will try to accomodate you if we can.

From Exit 9 with love,
Machine Ultimate

Oregon Flood YCC Girls Video Preview (extended)

I would like to give a preview to our YCC film coming soon...